The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) organised a recent meeting in Manila to discuss piracy and maritime crime in the Sulu and the Celebes Sea. It was attended by government officials from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and elsewhere, as well as representatives from international organisations and a number of consulates.
Figures from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) indicate that there has been a growth in piracy and armed robbery in the waters between Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines.
One of the speakers at the event was Chirag Bahri, from ISWAN (International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network), who spoke on the perspective of seafarers and the dangers they faced in high-risk environments. ISWAN’s piracy programme provides humanitarian support to seafarers and their families affected by piracy. He advised that seafarers should be trained in piracy awareness before joining a vessel and that ships should follow best management practices when transiting through piracy-affected waters.
Recent incidents worldwide reported to the IMB 24-hour PRC include the following:
Reference: itfseafarers.org
Source: Maritime Shipping News